Chapter 365 The British Consortium's Plan
After a brief conversation in Niu Bijian's office, during which Lin Haoran inquired about the latest situation at Jardines Matheson, he soon left Jardine House.
As soon as Lin Haoran stepped out the front door, Niu Bijian picked up the phone at his desk.
"Mr. Henry? This is Niu Bijian. Lin Haoran just came by Jardine House... Yes, he only asked a few simple questions. It seems he is still unaware of our plan. Very well, I will continue to monitor his movements. If anything happens, I will report to you immediately! Alright, I'll hang up now."
After hanging up, Niu Bijian fell into deep thought.
A week ago, he had been persuaded by Henry Keswick to rejoin the British consortium and attempt to reclaim control of Jardines Matheson.
However, until Henry Keswick had thoroughly prepared, Lin Haoran must not find out about any of this.
Henry Keswick had promised him that for the next two terms, the position of Taipan of Jardines Matheson would be his.
That was the ultimate reason Niu Bijian agreed.
Although during this period serving as Taipan under Lin Haoran, he had been largely left alone—Lin Haoran rarely interfered or even bothered to visit the company—Niu Bijian knew very well that Lin Haoran was merely using him to stabilize Jardines Matheson for now.
Once he lost his usefulness, there would be no hesitation: Lin Haoran would undoubtedly kick him out.
Thus, when Henry Keswick privately disclosed the full plan, Niu Bijian, after careful consideration, decided to side with the British consortium.
From his point of view, the British consortium's preparations were so thorough that their chances of retaking Jardines Matheson were quite high.
Moreover, even if they failed, it would not affect him much.
Henry Keswick had promised he would remain in the shadows, simply acting as an informant.
Meaning even if the Keswick-led consortium failed, Niu Bijian would not be implicated.
Currently, his role was that of the most critical chess piece the British consortium had within Jardines Matheson: a spy to report any developments immediately to Henry Keswick so they could seize the right moment.
"I wonder how Henry Keswick's negotiations with the Rothschild family are progressing. If they truly bring the Rothschilds on board, they might indeed have a real shot at retaking Jardines Matheson!" Niu Bijian thought to himself.
Earlier, Henry Keswick had invited him to a private meeting at a café, where he had successfully persuaded him to switch sides.
Henry Keswick's confidence came from solid foundations.
First, the Keswick family had raised HKD 1 billion, intended to increase their stake in Jardines Matheson.
Upon completing the additional purchases, their holdings would rise from 12% to over 20%, potentially surpassing Lin Haoran and making the Keswick family the largest single shareholder once again.
Second, Henry Keswick had successfully rallied local British Hong Kong consortium families, including the Shen Pi family and the Swire family, who pledged full support in reclaiming control of Jardines Matheson.
Most critically, Henry Keswick was working tirelessly on the most important step—securing investment from the prestigious Rothschild family.
If successful, the takeover of Jardines Matheson would be practically assured.
Henry Keswick sought partnership with the Rothschilds because he knew they were unlike HSBC, which harbored aggressive ambitions.
If the Rothschilds invested, they would likely prefer the role of stable financial investors rather than seeking operational control.
Thus, Jardines Matheson's control would still fall into the hands of the Keswick family.
Additionally, bringing in the Rothschilds would dramatically enhance the British consortium's overall strength.
With such backing, they might even leverage royal influence to pressure Lin Haoran into giving up his control.
Ultimately, everything hinged on whether Henry Keswick could convince the Rothschild family.
However, this would be no easy feat.
Despite being part of the British establishment, the Keswick family was far from being on the Rothschild family's level.
Thus, until everything was secured, Henry Keswick remained extremely cautious, keeping the plan secret.
As a result, Lin Haoran remained completely unaware that despite his 49.1% ownership of Jardines Matheson, the British consortium was still plotting to reclaim it.
Being British himself, Niu Bijian always prioritized his own interests but also favored seeing Jardines Matheson controlled by British hands rather than by a Chinese tycoon.
After experiencing Lin Haoran's takeover, Niu Bijian's arrogance had been significantly tempered.
Previously, holding sway over most of Jardines Matheson's management, he might have dared to oppose the Keswick family.
However, Lin Haoran's arrival made him realize that even control over management could not stand against absolute ownership.
This year had undoubtedly been the most humiliating year since Niu Bijian became Taipan.
Before Lin Haoran's takeover, he had already suffered many indignities.
After Lin Haoran assumed power, he was forced to continually lower his head before a Chinese boss.
What stung even more was losing control over the Land Group.
All these humiliations fueled his bitterness and helplessness.
Despite previous conflicts with the Keswick family, Niu Bijian still harbored deep respect for Henry Keswick, who had once been his mentor.
Thus, Henry Keswick had little difficulty convincing him to return to the British camp.
However, what Niu Bijian failed to realize was that even if the British consortium succeeded, he would soon find himself ousted under various pretexts.
At this moment, he was still dreaming of serving two more terms as Taipan, unaware that Henry Keswick's promises were nothing more than a ploy to keep him cooperative.
On Niu Bijian's desk sat a copy of the South China Morning Post.
Founded in 1903, it was one of Hong Kong's most influential English-language newspapers, though its circulation was only a few tens of thousands. Its readership mainly included political and business elites.
The headline was still focused on Lin Haoran's takeover of Jardines Matheson and the Land Group.
Lin Haoran's move had caused widespread shock, and the public's curiosity showed no signs of abating.
With the topic still hot, the media was relentlessly digging for more inside stories.
"Lin Haoran, enjoy your moment while you can," Niu Bijian muttered as he stared at the newspaper article.
Outwardly, he had submitted to Lin Haoran, but the humiliation remained etched in his heart.
After leaving Jardine House, Lin Haoran departed from Central and returned to his villa on Shixun Road.
Sitting beside him was Guan Jiahui, whom he hadn't seen in half a month.
However, Guan Jiahui's face did not look good.
Earlier at home, she had called him, explaining that she was in trouble and couldn't resolve it alone, asking him to send someone to fetch her.
Given that she had been his lover for over a year, Lin Haoran agreed.
Thus, after visiting Jardine House, he sent Li Weidong and another bodyguard to Guan Jiahui's residence, while he remained at Jardine House awaiting news.
"Boss, when we arrived, there was a group of thugs outside Miss Guan's home, trying to collect debts. She was trapped inside. We taught those thugs a lesson and got her out safely," Li Weidong reported while driving.
Lin Haoran turned to Guan Jiahui and asked, "Jiahui, tell me, what exactly happened?"
Hearing Lin Haoran's question, Guan Jiahui, who had merely looked distressed before, suddenly burst into tears, burying her head against his chest.
Lin Haoran gently patted her back and comforted her in a soft voice, "Don't worry, tell me everything. I'll handle it for you."
"My daddy's business failed... He racked up huge debts and fled Hong Kong, leaving me to face everything alone. Those debt collectors demanded I pay up, but I'm still a student! How could I possibly have that kind of money? They even tried to kidnap me... Thankfully, my house's door was sturdy enough. Otherwise, I don't know what would have happened if they broke in," Guan Jiahui sobbed, her words broken by tears.
Only then did Lin Haoran fully understand the situation.
He knew Guan Jiahui's background and was aware her father, Guan Shan, had accumulated substantial debts later in life.
He hadn't expected it to happen so early, though—already in 1980.
"How much money does your father owe?" Lin Haoran asked curiously.
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